Method of making soles



Dec. 13, 1938. F. salccA METHOD OF MAKING SOLES Filed Sept. 30, 1935 Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES;

i METHOD F MAKINGSOLES Frank siiiooo,` rallado-lomo, ro., signor tov Sbicca-Method Shoes, Inc., Philadelphia, Ba.,- actwpol'ation'ofl Delaware.

'Application september so, 1935, sonar No. 42,902 l is claim. e (ci. laf-146i This `invention.relates'to the manufacture of footwear and more particularly to the manufacture. of insoles'and outsoles usable in such footl wear. i s Y l l A general object of the invention is to provide anovel method of making insoles and outsoles usable in .an improved form of shoe, which affords marked economies asto cost of materials and operations as compared with practices heretofore followed in making shoes of commensurate generalquality and construction. l y

In the United States .patent to Sbicca No.

1,902,725 there 1s disclosed a method or shoe oon-` struction in which complementary insoles and outsoles are split from a single blank of sole stock having the combinedthickness of the required insole and outsole. The outsoleis formed with "a raised or landed central forepart portion,and y the insole has an opening in its central forepart which exactly nts the landed portion ofthe outsole by virtue of its `having been split or cut ftherefrom.

thicker sole leather than would vbe usedfor the outsole per se, of an ordinary shoe. These thickery grain leathers are more expensive than those which are a few irons thinner. While material savings are effected through cutting Sbicca-type insoles from outsole `stock .because it eliminates the cost of extra insoles whichotherwise would have to be provided, it -has been found by the present inventor that even further net savings can'befeffected by making possible the use of outsole leather of ordinary thickness in a Sbicca-type shoe. It therefore is a particularobject of this invention to provide a method' of making complementary insoles and outsoles in accordance with the principles of the mentioned Sbicca invention, and of using them in the manufacture of 40 shoes having substantially the'advantagesv as to Iflexibility, neat and accurate construction,etc., which characterize Sbicca-t'ypeshoes, while eifecting economieszin 'the net cost of manufacture, by providing sole units 'formed of outsole leather of thinner stock, which units are'built up u soles. 1

This Amethod calls for the use of equivalent tothe combined'gthicknesseskof Aan' 545V Yet another object of the invention ,is to'provide a shoe construction having an outsole landed at its central forepartV portion, `-and -an insole vincluding stock removed from the surface of said outsole adjacent itsk landed portion, which is adapted to be strongly and compactly vlasted and assembled without the need of loose iillervmaterial or the like between the insole and outsole.

A still further object of the invention is to pro- Vvide a shoe andv method of making the saine,` 10

which has a landed outsole and a plied insole, is compact and strongly lasted, and has the charac-` teristic appearance and much Oftheincreased flexibility of thenow popular single sole or Sbicca type of shoe. y Other objectsof the invention will in part be obvious and. will in partappear hereinafter. e

vThe invention accordingly comprises the several steps andthe relation of one or moreofsuch steps with respect to each of -the others, andthe 20 -article possessing the features, properties, f and the relation of elements, which `are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, andthe scope of the invention will beA indicated in the For 4a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, .reference shouldvbe had to the followingl detailed` description taken" in vconnection with the accompanying drawing, in

which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of acomposite sole `unit embodying principles ofthe present invention, parts thereof being broken awaybetter r to 'show the construction; i

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the unit shown in'35 Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is' a perspective view showing the formation of an insole and outsole from a soler blank rounded from the unit of Fig.. 1; f

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view along line 4-4 ofliig.` 3; Y

Fig. 5 is a longitudinalsectional view similar to Fig. 4 but showing an insole completelyvseparatedfrom an outsole; and i i Fig..6 is a transversevertical sectional view 45 taken through the forepart of ashoe constructed. in accordance with .the principles of this 'invention. f

Referring more particularly to the drawing, r there isshown inv Figs. 1f and 2,a blank,1compris' 50 f .ing a ply of outsole leather I|I`A and a ply of in sole-'material il bo'ndedto'itsjflesh surface by a klayer of cement or othersuitableadhesiveai. The combinedl thickness of the plies lill and` Il is taken 40 J A number of these blanks are formed, and the formed insole'and outsole, the ply Il being slightly thinnei than the desired insolev thieknel. The ply Il thereforeis' only slightly the orderl of 11l or 12 irons for a and the-outsole ply IOr may/make il irons of this entire thickness.

'is less expensive than outsole leather having the entire ll or l2 iron thickness would insole ply Il may be made of any suitf- Il, may be on womanl'shoe.

able inexpensive material, such as flexible split".

`leather or any of the commercially available manufactured composition insole materials having characteristics iitting them for use in the presently described construction, such for example as those made from fibrous pulpe.

plies Il and Il may, if desired. be superposed while in sheet form and later divided into separateblanks luchas those showninll'lg. 1.,A required number of right and left sole units of agiven sise are then roundedout fran theseblanks, aright unit for example being shown in Fig. 3.y Each unit. comprising the bonded plies kk'il and", isseparsted along aplane extending leaving a1 raised or landed area Il atthecen-v tral forepart portion of lthe outsole' and a cut away opening il atthe central forepart portion of the insole which .exactly complements the.

shoulders defining thelanded `area Il. This methodoi splitting the sole unit maypreferably be effected by means of special sole splitting apparatus vof the kind disclosed in a copending application Vof William C. Card, Jr., Serial-No. f 748.979, filed October 19,y 1934. If desired, this separatingoperation may be effected by utilizing the three cut process described in the Sblcca' patent. The knife designated i which is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. is only intended diagrammatically to indicate the nature of the contemplated separation of the sole unit into separatefinsole and outsole parts. i

The insole thus formed comprises the original ply il of, insole material 4and a thin Vsplit at its central forepart portion, whicharea comil' comprising stock removed from the flesh side of the outsole leather I8. The outsole throughout most of its extent is formed of a single ply of grain sole leather having a landed area I3 prises theoriginal stock I0 plus a cut of! portion of the ply Il which is cemented thereto.

'Ihe insole next is preferably trimmed around its marginal edges as indicated at I6 so that it is of less extent than the corresponding outsole, as is customary and desirable for the assembly of these parts in ashoe. v

In forming the-shoe, the insole comprising layers. I l andY Il" is locatedl on a An upper `I1 is pulled over'and'lasted to the insole in any suitable manner, preferably by means of cement. The overturned -lasting allowance of the upper is trimmed, roughed, etc., in accordance with the invention whi the usual procedure so as not to encroach on the opening Il in the insole, and the outsole il is thereafter attached thereto with its landed area ill fitted within the opening in the insole so that its upper surface extends ush` and even with the upper surface of the insole on the finished shoe, and closely" ilts therewithl entirely around its boundary. The so1e is preferably cement affixed-to the upper,althoug'h other amxing means may be employed if desired.'

'Ihe adhesives or cements usedmay be of any suitable kind, such as rubber or pyroxylin cements and the like. Pyroxylin cement is preferably used in lasting the upper and in amxing the outsole to the lasted upper. However, as explained, other forms of adhesive or other kinds of aiiixing kmeans may be used for these operations.

AA shoe constructed in this manner possesses substantially all of the advantages that characterize single sole" shoes having aperforate insole and mating landed outsole, while providing vsubstantial net economies over processes hereample, may be cemented with the outsole ply before the splitting operation, or after, as de-l sired. Also, a laminated unit such as that shown in Fig. 2 may be made. up of more than two plies, if desired, in which case the severing split may be made at any chosen plane.

split may be made above` instead ofgbelow the cemented bond I2, in which case the outsole -would be laminated so as to show awelt-like construction at its margin, when assembled in a completed shoe. i

It will be seen that therehas been provided a method and a shoe construction. which are well sense.v v

I t is also to be understood that the following claims are-intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and au'. statements, Q1 me scope of ch, asamatter 'of language, might be said to fall therebetween.. x3

Having describ ""niy invention,xwhat I claim as l. A method-of v`preparing complementary insoles and outsoles which comprises providing a .ply of outsole leather, cementing. thereto a ply of insole material of less thickness than the required insole thickness to form a composite blank,

` v Even with` Ia two ply unit, as in Fig. 2, the insole separating new andnesir, to secure by Letters Patent,

.56 terpreted as illustrative and not in-a limiting 2. A method according to claim 1, in which a manufactured composition is provided as the ply of insole material.

3. A method of preparing complementary insoles and outsoles which comprises providing a ply of outsole leather, cementing thereto a ply of insole material of less thickness than the required insole thickness to form a composite blank, and separating an insole of said required thickness from said`bomposite blank while forming comple- 10'"mentary interfitting shoulders on said insole and the remaining'outs'role.

4. A method o f preparing complementary insoles and outsoles which comprises providing a ply of outsole leather, cementing a ply of insole material of less thickness than that oaf a required insole to the flesh side of said outsole leather t form a composite blank, and forming an insole and outsole by separating theheel, shank and marginal forepart 'portions of said composite blank alonga plane below that ofthe cemented bond between said plies while Aleaving a raised landed portion at the central forepart'portion of said outsole and a corresponding out away portion at the central forepart area of the insole.

5. A method of preparing complementary insoles and outsoles which comprises superposing a ply of insole material on a ply of outsole leather to form a composite blank, and separating the heel, shank, and marginal forepart portions of said blank to form an insole and outsole, while leaving a raised landed area comprising combined material from said'insole and outsole plies at the central forepart portion of the outsole and forming a corresponding cut away opening at the central forepart portion of the insole.

6. In shoe making methods, that improvement which includes laminating sole blanks of different materials and adhesively securing them together,

' then dividing the laminated blank to provide an outsole having a ball portion centrally elevated in thicknessl and an.insole having an opening in the ball portion thereof complemental to said outsole elevation." l

7. In shoe making methods, that improvement which includes vlaminating layers of material to build up a sole blank .having a thickness equal to the combined thickness of' an insole and an outsole and adhesively securing said layers together, dividing the blank to obtain therefrom an insole having an aperture centrally of its ball portion,and an outsole elevated in thickness over an area complemental to the insole aperture.

.8. .In shoe making methods, that improvement which includes laminating layers of material to build up a sole blank having a thickness equal to the combined thickness of an insole and an outsole and adhesively securing said layers together, rounding the laminated blank, dividing the blank to obtain therefrom an insole having an aperture centrally of its ball portion and an outsole elevated in thickness over an area complemental to the insole aperture, the elevated portion of said outsole being equal in thickness to the full thickness of said laminated blank.

9. In shoe'making methods, that improvement which includes forming Va sole blank of two laminations of material adhesively secured together, then dividing the blank to obtain an insole having an opening therein centrally of its ball portion and an outsole centrally elevated in thickness over an area complemental to the said insole opening.

1o. In shoe making methods. that improvement which includes forming a sole blank of two laminations of material adhesively secured together, one of the laminations being of softer material than the other, then dividing the blank to obtain an insole having an opening therein centrally of its ball portion and a laminated outsole elevated in thickness over an area complemental to the said insole opening, the insole comprising the softer of said laminations.

11. In shoe making methods, that improvement which includes forming a sole blank of two laminations of material adhesively secured together, then dividing the blank to obtain an insole having an opening therein centrally of its ball portion and an outsole centrally elevated-in thiclmess over an `area complemental to the said insole opening, said insole and outsole each comprising portions of both laminations.

12. That improvement in methods of making soles which consists in securing two sole blanks together in face-to-face relation thereby providing a single laminated blank, and dividing said laminated blank into an insole having an opening in `its forepart and an outsole having a projection on its forepart complemental to said opening.

13. 'I'hat improvement in methods of making soles which consists in securing together two sole blanks of different materials thereby providing a unitary sole blank of laminated formation, and dividing said unitary blank into an insole having an opening in its forepart and an outsole having upon its forepart a projecting portion complemental to the opening in the insole.

14. That improvement in methods of making soles which consists in securing together in faceto-face relation, by means of adhesive, an insole blank of one material and an outsole blank of a different material from that of the insole blank, and dividing the laminated blank thus produced into a laminated insole comprising layers of each of` said materials and having an opening in its forepart and an outsole having a forepart projection complemental to said opening.

15. That improvement in methods of making soles which consists in securing together by adhesive an insole blank and an outsole blank thereby providing a single laminated sole blank, and thereafter separating an interior portion of the forepart of said laminated blank from the rest of said blank and splitting the rest of said blank in a plane substantially parallelto but spaced from the-plane of adhesion between said insole blank and said outsole blank.

16. That improvement in methods of making soles which consists in -securing together in faceto-,face relation, by means of adhesive, a sole blank of insole material and a sole blank of outsole material and thereby providing a single laminated blank, and` thereafter separating an interior portion of vthe forepart of said laminated 'blank from the rest of said blank and splitting the rest of said blank in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of adhesion and located within the layer of outsole material, thereby providing an outsole having a projecting portion upon its forepart composed partially of insole material and a laminated insole comprising a 

